Tale of Sol and Luna
by nexusmaster
Summary: A story of the gods Sol and Luna, a legend lost to ages of time itself.
1. Meeting of the Sun and Moon

**The story of the god Sol and the goddess Luna is one that has been lost over the ages. The warrior king Sol, master of earth and fire, falls in love with the goddess Luna, mistress of wind and water. Few know of their tale... and their tragedy.**

**The characters of Golden Sun will be hinted at in this story, but it is basically a legend that will go along with my actual story.**

**CH.1: The Sun Meets the Moon**

In the Land of Gaia, there were two, main powers. The Golden Empire, which ruled the land and the sun that shown down upon it, were valiant, strong warriors. The numbers of their forces were not as grand as many would think, but every being knew that one Golden Soldier was equivalent to ten mortal men. Their magic was of earth and flame.

The second power was the Promised Ones. These beings of elegance and grace dwelled in the skies, surrounding themselves with wind. Their cities are said to be the source of the rain that gives the earth drink, and the snow that begins life a new. Their magic was of water and wind.

Though both powers were not hostile towards the other, a long stretch of isolation formed a rift between them. The Promised did not mingle with the Golden People, nor did the Golden People make merry with the Promised Ones. Before long, stories of the other formed among the common folk in the grand, floating cities of the Promised Ones, calling the Golden People, "Barbarians that feast upon the wings that adorn the backs of the Promised Ones" for their wings were their lives.

In the same way, the Golden People referred to the Promised ones as, "Winged demons who wish to suck the blood from our children" for their children were their future.

Now I, being up in age, but still strong in mind, shall portray to you a tale of valiance, zeal, strength, loss, and tragedy. This story is one that has been lost to the folk that dwell among Weyard, their eyes and ears being blocked out by the spell of the Ancient Ones, but that is a tale you have already heard. No, I will not repeat that tale, less I bore you with details you have already formed for yourself.

No, our tale begins elsewhere, deep in the Golden Lands, in the mountains that enclose the capital, Thangoran, in a snug natural blanket of earth herself. Many tell stories of how this city came to rest in the bosom of Gaia herself, but the truth, once again, is another tale meant for another time. Our sight goes down to the Southern Mountain named Steelix, for much ore from there is used to smith weapons. On such mountain, a boy witnesses an inhuman event, one that shall leave him and his friends in awe.

From the sky, one could get a better view for the scene that begins out story. There was a formidable crowd of young children, ranging from as young as eight to thirteen, who encircled a pit, formed by a series of tall and sturdy boulders. The bottom of the pit held dirt and sand that haled from the rocks that loomed farther up the tall mountain.

There, in the center of the pit, stood a man, his face clean and young. His eyes were like burning coals that had tasted the fullest fury of a dragon's mighty inferno. His hair looked to be made of pure gold, glistening in the bright sun that watched from its heavenly perch. His body was well toned, chiseled to perfection. His legs slowly shifted as he circled the beast that roared in front of him. It was a large boar, whose eyes were hot with rage at the man. The warrior let a small smirk appear on his face as he shielded the quivering figure behind him, "Be on your way beast, I do not wish to slay a child of Gaia in her own bosom." His voice held no form of taunting, but of respectful warning.

The boar glared at him harder and snorted, its breath looking like steam out of the spout of a tea-pot. The beast lowered its head, pointing its sharp, experienced tusks at the warrior. With an indignant snort, the boar charged at his opponent, its hooves beating the ground with the might of hammers. With a sigh, the warrior held out his arms, readying his feet for the mighty impact. With his bare hands, the warrior gripped the tusks of the boar with an iron-hold, displaying the might he gained after years of fierce combat.

"I deeply apologize child of Gaia, but I must protect those who follow my light." The warrior redirected the momentum of his opponent, driving the boar to the ground, wrestling it with Herculean strength. He held firm, as the boar kicked against the ground, trying to pry the warrior off of its breathing passages, for it was unable to attain the oxygen its lungs screamed for. The amber-eyed warrior solemnly closed his eyes, feeling the boar relax its muscles as death came. With a quick jerk, the warrior broke the boar's neck, ending its suffering, "I wish honor upon you." He whispered before standing again.

The golden-haired man turned away from the dead beast and at the quivering child that watched behind him, "Are you alright child, did I come too late?" He was thrown off when the child clung to him tightly, wishing for the protection only an adult could offer. He chuckled and patted the boy gently, "Dry your tears boy, for this experience will help you become a man."

"T-Thank you Lord Sol, thank you," The boy sobbed, but he dried his tears, just as Sol told him. The children who had watched from above cheered for the safety of their friend, as well as for the heroic actions of their king and ruler.

"Run on home children, I am certain your parents are worried about you, seeing how that beast's roars echoed with such might." Sol watched the children begin their way towards the capital, watching them like a hawk. He gave a tired sigh when they were far enough off, knowing the way was more than secure thanks to the Golden Guards that watched over the city. His eyes turned towards his home that stood over the other buildings in Thangoran, "I am sure Walter will have my ear for being out alone." Sol quickly scaled the boulders and gave a curt whistle, summoning a golden stallion. He hoisted himself onto the broad back of his stallion and patted the side of its neck, "Come Arvak, we have to get back as soon as possible."

'Afraid of what the old man will say?' Arvak replied, speaking to the king inside his mind. Arvak, along with the other horses of the Golden People, were capable of speaking to their masters through telepathy, their voices gaining volume along with their trust. Arvak gave a curt nay, as if laughing at the face Sol had on.

"Your mouth would be best used to breathe while you run Arvak." Sol shot back as his stallion sprang forward, sparks of flame trailing its pounding hooves. Displaying legendary speed, Arvak arrived at the gates of Thangoran, blowing passed the guards in his rush.

**xxxxx**

Elsewhere, an old man was fuming at the absence of his king and charge. He paced to and fro in front of the large, golden throne that belonged solely to the rightful Lord of the Sun. The throne room itself was a sight to behold. Two, mighty oak doors guarded the entrance, as drapes of fine silk hung from above to flow in the wind that drifted in through the open windows that ran overhead. Mighty pillars of marble held the walls aligned, designs of the sun carved into them for all to see.

"Where is his highness?" The old man tapped his foot impatiently. However, his fretting ceased as he heard the mighty pounding of a familiar horse. The old advisor let out a very deep sigh, his old eyes glaring at the door in disapproval. As he expected, a golden horse burst through the oak doors, stopping as it always did when his master was late for some sort of event.

"I'm back Walter, and still with thirty seconds to spare." Sol allowed the guards to lead Arvak to his stall, ignoring the taunts his horse shot towards the old man. He promptly started for his throne, plopping into the seat readily. It no longer bothered him, the massive suns made of pure gold that adorned the back of the throne, for he had grown accustomed to them years ago, "What news do you have for me?"

Walter stared at Sol in disapproval, but little could be done since he was early, "The people of the blackened lands speak no longer my lord, it seems they were overtaken by something very recently." Walter pointed to the map that rested in front of Sol.

"I see, what do you suggest be done Walter?" Sol looked at his trusted advisor expectantly, for he had given counsel readily many a times. However, Sol's face faltered when Walter's expression showed hoe perplexed he was.

"I don't know my lord, there is too little information for us to make a sure move in response to this occurrence." Walter reached into his robes and removed a scroll, "I reluctantly suggest sending a squad to find out more my lord."

Sol stared at the scroll intently, carefully considering what he was doing. If he signed such a scroll, he would be sending a squad of men to their more than likely deaths, "We wait Walter; I cannot easily send men away to fight an unknown battle."

Walter nodded and placed the scroll in a pouch beside the throne, "A wise choice sire, now for other matters…" Walter continued on, telling Sol of the economic situation, as well as the living conditions of the people throughout their territory.

Sol's eyes sharpened upon hearing the report he had just heard, "A band of robbers to our west you say; how far west Walter?" He looked at the point his advisor indicated. It was fair sized town that rested just inside their borders, a ripe place to be terrorized by bandits and scum of the like, "I will ride out with a small band of men to dispel the bandits, such deeds are punishable by death under my rule."

Walter glanced at Sol, "Sire, the bandits merely hunger for food and seek riches, you must try to quell your anger with understanding."

Sol nodded, "Of course Walter, however, there is no hint of famine in my lands, and no one is without their own riches." Sol stood up, a golden glow surrounding him. He calmly stepped down the stairs of his throne and left, heading for the barracks. Walter looked after him, a small smile on his old face.

Thus, in no less than two days, Sol and twenty knights left the walls of their capital, their horses thundering through the lands towards the town of Sungol. It is said that their banners, in that moment, shown brighter than before, which was a sign of something grand preparing itself to happen. Within two more days, the small band approached a green forest, the natural gates of Sungol, Sol was once told.

"We rest here men, ready your weapons and get some rest. I hope we will not need to fight these bandits, but we must be ready for anything." Sol hopped down from Arvak and aided his men in forming a solid camp. Normally, the soldiers would incist on doing all the work, but after a long rule, they had learned that Sol would have no such attitudes.

"Sire, go wash in the stream to the north, for its waters are clean and healing." One knight, Sai, urged his now filthy king. Sol slapped Sai on the back, thanking him kindly for the information. Sol quickly checked the camp, finding it to be satisfactory for even the most experienced of woodsmen and started for the stream, with a few men at the ready and at a good distance of course.

Sol carefully navigated his way to the stream, following the bubbling sounds the waters often made. When he removed the final branch that obscured his vision, Sol gazed long and in amazement at the stream before him. Just as Sai had said, the water was clean and seemed to be made of liquid crystal, a flowing treasure. By this time, the moon had taken the place of the sun, casting down a silver light upon the surface of the water.

"A fine place indeed," Sol promptly washed his face free from the muck he had gained from setting up camp, enjoying the cool waters. However, the trained warrior king's ears perked upon hearing a beautiful tune, that of a woman humming. His amber eyes searched his views, only to see a large rock splitting the waters in two. Figuring the source of the tune was beyond it, Sol ran back into the brush and made his way around, 'Such a voice must belong to some sort of bird, one I have yet to see.' He reasoned.

When Sol saw who was making the melodious song, he froze where he stood. His eyes examined the maiden who bathed in front of him, her white skin reflecting the light of moon, as if it were her mother. Her long, baby-blue hair cascaded down her back, the tips dipping into the water. Now this is usually where the man makes a poetic comparison of this beautiful woman to something equally beautiful, but Sol was no normal man, "Holy son of a crazed mole, she's freakin' hot." Sol turned around, wanting to keep some personal dignity for himself.

Then, like a knife to his ears, a sharp yelp was heard instead of the ongoing melody. Sol whipped around and looked to see what was wrong, 'What the heck is that thing?'

**xxxxxxxx**

It looked as demonic as any beast could look. Its body seemed to be made of some sort of black mist, its large maw being the only solid looking part of its body. The wolf-like body slowly started circling the bathing woman, who was now glaring at the beast intently. She prepared to cast some sort of Psynergy, but something hit her in the face, ruining her focus.

"Get out of here, I'll hold it off!" Sol burst out of the tress, revealing his battle dress to the woman. She looked in awe at the black colored armored with golden crests and adornments. The armor itself looked Roman in style, the plated shoulder guards having golden edges. In place of a cape, there would've been a cloth hanging from the belt, but this cloth was what the woman was using to shield her naked form.

Sol sized up the wolf-like beast, noting that it was definitely not a child of Gaia, for he could feel such a thing from any normal beast. When he saw the monster reel back, ready to spring, he pulled a small strap on his left wrist, the folded shield on his forearm unfolding to form a circular, golden shield. This was the first weapon of any Golden Soldier, the Rising Shield. The beast's fangs met the shield's surface with a resounding clang, sparks flying into the waters at their feet.

Sol cursed as the beast clawed his leg, leaving three gashes at his shins. Sol fell to his knees, taken by surprise by the tactic. He stared into the fangs that prepared to rip his head off, but spikes of ice pushed the monster back. He looked behind him to see the woman wearing her undergarments, his cloth wrapped around her wrist firmly, 'Ice Missile, a Mercury style Psynergy,' Sol was decided to leave this truth for later, focusing on the beast before him.

The woman opened her mouth to say something, but what happened next caused her mouth to snap shut. Sol had just drawn his sword, the golden steel shining in the moonlight as if it were the sun itself. Then, as if seeing the blade of a Golden Knight weren't enough, she heard the warrior's thunderous voice speak his spell.

"Searing Beam," A searing beam of fire shot towards the beast, striking it with immense power. While it was stunned, Sol charged it, driving his shield into the face of the wolf shadow, blotting out its eyes in one motion. While the monster howled its pain, Sol drove his blade into its neck and dragged it to the side, severing the beast's head. Sol sighed and looked back at the still gaping woman, "Are you alright?"

Silently, the woman nodded and stepped towards him. With caution, she bent down before Sol and examined his injured leg, "Thank you Knight of the Sun, but your leg was injured in this fight." She stood up and looked at him when Sol took a proud step back.

"It's nothing; it will heal with time and rest." He gave her a small smile to try and satisfy her, but it soon left his face when the woman gave him a scolding look.

"I don't think you have the time knight, and insist on healing it, now sit." She pointed a rock, which was soon occupied by one Sol. She focused her energies and placed her hand over the wound gently, her soft fingers glowing the same shade of blue as her hair. Sol watched in amazement as he felt the stinging of the gashes leave his leg.

"Amazing, I never would've guessed you were a Promised One." Sol said as he flexed his healed leg, "Thank you, I owe you much from this encounter." Once again, his amber eyes met with the violet eyes of this woman, the light in her eyes dripping with a certain type of spunk.

"Owe me you say? I think this makes us even knight of Sol." She then examined his armored form with much scrutiny, "Though I am surprised, I've heard that your kind is barbaric, but you just showed extraordinary chivalry."

Sol chuckled, "And you do not look like much of a demon, that is unless you changed your appearance to ensnare me."

The woman giggled lightly, "I am Luna, child of wind and water," She gave him a graceful curtsy and started for the bank and towards the rest of her clothes, "who might you be?"

Sol was slightly surprised, few did not know of him, "I am… a mere knight Lady Luna, nothing more." He answered. It was not a lie, for Sol never thought himself above a knight to those who served under him. _He_ was the servant in his own eyes.

"A nameless knight, now aren't we getting a bit cliché." Luna playfully shot at him. She unwrapped Sol's cloth and held it out to him, "I believe this is yours."

Sol shook his head, "Keep it, so you shall not forget me when we part ways."

Luna gave him a playful look, "Careful knight, I'm beginning to think you're trying to court me." Luna flung the cloth over her shoulder, accepting the gift none the less, "Well, I suppose that ends my relaxing time in this stream."

"So how did you get here? I don't suppose you stayed in the town just ahead." Sol questioned. There had been no sightings of the floating cities of the Promised Ones near their location, so it was even stranger to see one here.

"I flew, I've heard many things about the pools on the land, and it seems they were true." Luna stretched in her white and blue dress. It was fairly simple, seeing how she was from an angelic type of people.

"Oh?" Sol chuckled again, "So what makes our humble pools more interesting than the grand polls that adorn the Floating Cities?" Sol's features softened when he saw the passionate look on Luna's face. Her eyes softened as she looked at the ground under her still bare feet.

"It's the earth that the water runs over." She knelt before the river and scooped up a mixture of water and dirt, "Here, water and ground meet as one, showing that though they are different, they can work together just fine."

"That is very interesting, I've never thought of it that way." Sol was amazed by this woman completely. Her display of strength caught his attention, for few women could do such things in such a situation. Her mind was obviously sharp, perhaps sharper than his, and her beauty was, needless to say, something to be drooled over.

"I better start home, I'm sure I am missed." Luna smiled at Sol, "Thank you again knight, I hope we see one another again. It was… fun." Luna turned towards the north and extended her wings. Sol watched in awe as the two white wings flexed in a display of strength. With one beat, Luna was in the air and on her way out of sight.

Sol watched the direction she left, the sounds of his men approaching becoming muffled to his ears. His mind was focused on one subject that he could not shake. Yes, the fair Luna had very well captured his attention, but his thoughts dwelled on the beast he had slain. It was like nothing he'd ever seen, and he had fought many a creature before, 'Something stirs beyond our borders, something dark.'


	2. Battle of Sungol

**A/N: Glad to know you guys are liking this, it's not easy to write. Anyway, I just wanted to iron out a few things. First, Sol isn't supposed to be any of the canon characters in a past life, same goes for Luna. As for Adepts, the Golden People are duel-Adepts, meaning they use two types of Psynergy. Since it's a game feature seldom used in Golden Sun fics, I decided to use it as a plot device.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun, though I'd make a third one if I did.**

**The Battle of Sungol**

Knights of the Sun are what they are called. Their armor was as black as the night, golden buckles and golden symbols encrusted over the black metal. The ore used was light enough to give them mobility, yet tough enough to rival dragon skin. Their swords were powerful, able to cut through any type of shield and flesh. Their shields were a piece of fine engineering. When it was not in use, it would fold up into a single sheet, a leather string keeping it in place. When pulled off, the shield would unfold into a circular shield and glow in the light of the sun, as if using its rays as a source of protection. Legends say that the shields made it look like the knights had the sun itself on their arms.

Sol gazed upon the small town of Sungol. It was a quaint place, nothing too fantastic adorning the many walkways and the finely paved roads. His amber eyes shifted to the image of a lone man in an earth-colored cloak weave through the crowd slowly. Sol knelt down, placing his palm on the ground. With the senses gifted to him, Sol spoke with the man, "Van, have you found anything out?" As his words sounded through the empty forest, pulses of golden energy made their way into the town and to the feet of Van.

"Little sire, few speak of the ones that torment them." Van whispered to the earth, returning Sol's message. The golden king grunted in slight frustration, his vision shifting from the western side, to the eastern.

"Alright, continue gathering information while the others continue on with the plan." Sol focused his attention on the nearest pub, observing the nest phase of their plan. As he watched, his thoughts drifted to who he had in his party. There was Sai, a fine spearman who is gifted in Mars Psynergy, and Van, a skilled assassin and Venus Adept. There were also two other, significant knights with him. Gil, a swordsman capable of amazing Venus spells, and Shirou, the best archer Sol had ever seen. All his knights were capable of using Mars and Venus Psynergy, but they all had specialties, "Gil, Sai, don't over do it in there."

**xxx**

The pub, Bar of Gold, was a lively place on a regular basis. Many came from beyond the border to visit and would stop by for a fun time, as they conversed with friends and other acquaintances. However, today would interrupt this flow, as a boot smashed the door open, silencing the loud crowd inside.

It was dead silent inside the pub, as eyes stared at the ten fully armed knights entered the crowd slowly, eyeing every person carefully. Sai was the first to take a seat, removing his helmet to reveal his green colored hair and dark colored eyes. With one last glance around, Gil followed suit, removing his own helmet to run a hand through his white hair, his golden eyes glaring holes through the onlookers.

"Don't bother sitting men, we won't be here long." Gil smirked when he saw the other eight knights put their hands on their weapons cautiously. Gil slowly scanned the room again for the third time, his eyes landing on a shivering waitress, "You," he pointed a finger at her, "come here please."

The waitress yelped in surprise and shakily made her way to Gil. She felt tears sting her eyes when she saw Gil and Sai examine her in the pub's skimpy uniform, fearing they would attempt to do harm to her. She nervously stared at Sai when he motioned for her to lean forward. Shooting a prayer to the sun itself, she bent forward, allowing Sai to whisper in her ear.

"It would be wise for you to leave with the other waitresses, things are about to become very dangerous." Sai winked at the waitress when he saw her chocolate colored eyes brighten in relief. She gave him a solid nod and went off to do as she was told, gathering the employees and leaving quickly.

Gil's eyes sharpened when he saw the bartender stare after the exiting waitresses, an ominous glint in his eye, 'One,' He looked over to the far wall and at two men conversing secretly, 'two, three,' He glanced up when he heard a series of bumps, 'and that makes ten total.'

"What might an entire squad of knights be doing in our little town good sirs?" The bartender's chubby face split into an obviously fake grin. Sai looked at how hard the bartender's grip was and signaled for the knights to get ready.

"Heard talk of some bandits terrorizing this place. You wouldn't know anything would you?" Gil glared at the bartender, the tips of his fingers feeling hot as he started charging his energies.

The bartender was silent, nervousness showing on his fat face. In one, clumsy motion, he threw the glass in his hand at Gil, turning to run out of the back door. Gil skillfully caught the glass and threw it at the first bandit that tried to slit his throat. The glass shattered, cutting the attacker's face open. Sai quickly drew his spear and dove for the second before he even moved.

In no less than two seconds, the bar was chaos. Dangerous criminals and thieves revealed themselves, each thinking the knights were after them. The ten knights welcomed the fight, wanting to clean the pub out before anything else. Sai tossed the limp body of a thief aside and faced the stairs leading upstairs. He quickly rolled to the side when an arrow whizzed by his head, barely missing him, "Archer, take him out!"

"Kind of busy Sai!" Gil ducked under a bandit's dagger and cut the legs out from under the slender man. With a cry of pain, the bandit fell to the ground, allowing Gil to thrust his sword backwards to impale a second attacker.

"Fine," Sai concentrated as best he could, focusing his Venus and Mars abilities into his palms. When he was ready, he rounded the corner and shouted, "Claymore!" A stone spire shot out until it reached the top floor, then exploded in a burst of intense flames, shooting hot stone everywhere on the upper floor. Sai heard various cries and waited for the archer to fall down the stairs, limp.

**xxx**

Sol sighed when he saw the flash of Sai's attack, 'That would be over doing it.' He shook his head and watched the fat bartender continue to slink away, heading for a small cluster of rocky hills. His eyes sharpened as he made his way into the town, six other knights coming out of their hiding places, bows in hand. Sol instructed them to prime sniper nests throughout the town, figuring a counter attack will come soon. He watched the fat bar owner run towards the rocky hills to the west and held back a curse.

And it was so; the knights of the sun removed the hidden enemies among the crowds, suffering no losses or injuries. Their shields glistened and their blades severed many, blood spilling onto the cool earth. Legend tells that Sol places sticks in the ground for every bandit killed, finding their deaths a sad waist.

By nightfall, the knights had formed a thin border around the town, focusing most defenses towards the rocky hills. While the night's air was still cool and the wind stood still, Sai approached Sol, wanting to know the purpose of their fortification.

"Sire, why do we remain; shouldn't we give chase to the man that escaped?" Sai watched the hills, standing beside the silent warrior king.

"They will come to retake this town, I have a feeling they will come to us." His amber eyes glanced to his subordinate, "Have you evacuated the townspeople?"

"Aye sire, but we have a slight situation with the male part of the population." Sai reached into his collar and took out a toothpick. He slipped in between his teeth and continued, knowing Sol was paying full attention, "They refuse to leave, insisting on staying to fight."

Sol contemplated this scenario for a few minutes before answering Sai's report, "Let them, but keep the townsmen to the rear, there they will sweep up what our archers do not reach."

Sai straightened and gave Sol a crisp bow, "Aye sire, I will inform the townsmen." The knight jogged off, not wanting to keep his lord waiting for the formation adjustments. As soon as Sai had left earshot, Sol's eyes returned to the mountains, a sound catching his ears.

It was like thunder rumbling through the walls of the rocky hills. A series of lights made their turn around the entrance to the hills, like a river's surface being hit by the setting sun. Their numbers were not too large, but they definitely dwarfed them in sheer man power. However, like the legend tells, one knight of Sol is equal to ten mortal men. Sol looked upon the army of bandits that marched towards the town, no doubt wanting to burn it down and kill their saviors.

The knights of the sun watched the bandit horde for movements as they made a semi-circle in front of the town's western gate, the one leading out of Sol's reign. The archers perched in the tallest buildings and along the cliffs to the south saw the crowd of barbarians part for a bulkier man to make himself known. The giant that stepped forward was twice as big as Sol, and the warrior king was a well sized man. His face was buried under a large, dark brown beard of tangled hair and messy braids. His head was un-kept and wild in appearance. His bulky form was covered with bear skin, obviously slain from the far west mountains, seeing how big it was.

Sol, who stood in front of the other knights, glared at the man when he heard him let out a deep laugh, "So you all are the ones who disturbed the peace of my town here." The wild man pointed a fat finger at Sol, using his other hand to flip them all off, "Send me your leader, so I can post his head on a pike as this town burns!"

Sol and the other knights did not respond, instead a volley of arrows erupted from the cliffs and rooftops, striking the frontlines. All those standing in the unfortunate position were struck between the eyes, dying instantly. The bandit leader growled like a rabid dog when his men fell, an arrow sticking out of his shoulder. He removed the arrow and broke it, "Your women will mourn for your deaths at the hands of Argoth, Barbarian King."

"You don't know our women," Sol responded, "they'd sooner kick your scruffy hide from here to the west and back before crying over us." Sol drew his sword, his knights following his example and drawing their weapons. Argoth let out a vicious battle cry, ordering his men to charge the town. Sol spat on the ground and concentrated, driving his sword into the earth. He stomped his feet on the ground and raised his hands, "STONE SPIRE!" As hundreds of stone spikes shot out from the earth, impaling the charging foes, the knights charged to meet the barbarians. However, to compensate for their numbers, the knights used various Mars and Venus Psynergy spells, lowering their enemy's numbers.

The archers readied their bows for another volley, aiming for the bigger foes that entered the fray. However, their aim shifted when the sharp-eyed archers caught three creatures barreling their way towards Sol and the other knights, "Sire, creatures to the southwest!" They informed him through the earth.

Sol, hearing his archer's cries, looked to see three creatures that resembled hyenas burst through the lesser ranks of barbarians, crushing them beneath their paws. The first one growled at Sol hungrily, its fangs dripping with drool. Sol rolled his eyes, "Great, another rabid beast who wants to eat me." He rolled away from its first strike, leaping into the air, "PLANET DIVER," Sol's body was encased in flames as he shot towards the beast. On impact, the monster was blown into two parts, its blood spalttering everywhere.

This worked in Sai's favor, since blood had splattered into the other beast's eyes, stunning it, "Protect!" He cast the defensive Psynergy and drove his spear into the beast's head, splitting its brain. The monster staggered, letting out strange barks before it finally hit the ground.

Sol and Gil faced the third and final beast, ignoring the searing heat that surrounded them. The battlefield had been covered in spotted flames, giving the dark night an amber hue. Bits of glowing grass floated through the air, forcing some to breath in lit ash. The beast didn't seem to care much, seeing how it blew out some lit ashes when it snorted out of its nose. The beast reeled back, preparing to pounce onto Sol and Gil. However, a large war-hammer struck the beast, throwing it across the battlefield, only to be replaced by an enraged Argoth.

"I'm not quite sure which one I'd prefer." Gil choked when Argoth picked him up and tossed him towards the gates of Sungol, the knight's armor striking the wooden posts. Gil's body fell to the ground, limp, but the moans of pain showed he still lived. Sol, on the other hand, stared up into the glowing eyes of Argoth, ready to dodge his mighty blows.

"I'll have your head knight!" Argoth raised the war hammer and brought it down with a mighty bang, the earth shaking under its impact. Sol skillfully rolled away from the spot where he once stood, the head of the hammer striking the very spot. Argoth growled and roared as he hoisted the hammer up and around for a horizontal swing, the knight barely ducking under it. The barbarian would not be easily denied, as he used the momentum from his former strike to execute another, "BEOWULF!" He slammed the hammer on the ground, the sonic boom blowing Sol off his feet.

The golden king cried out as his body was thrown deeper into the barbarian horde and farther away from his knights. Sol quickly surveyed his surroundings, only to see that most of his men were a few feet away, aiding the townsmen in cutting their way to him. The warrior king focused on the bulk of rage approaching him and started thinking. Argon was a man much too big to simply fight head on, thus a strategy was needed. Sol stood up and readied his shield, attempting to put up some sort of defense for himself. When Argon was nearly in striking range, his eyes sharpened, 'It is now or never.'

xxxx

"Come on knight, you can defeat him." A woman hid behind the brush in the forest, looking down upon Sol and Argon from a perch unseen by the archers. She stood ready with a sword of her own, its silver gleam seeming white in the dim brush. She gripped the hilt tightly as the battle continued to unfold, but she still fought a battle within herself.

The woman was constantly asking herself why she was there in the first place, why she left her floating city once again. For a knight she had met only the night before? Her eyes glanced at the cloth she now wore as a scarf, her nose breathing in the scent of earth on it. Her eyes looked at the battle again, always watching for a reason to help the knight that had helped her.

xxx

"You're mine!" Argon charged, war-hammer ready to crush him into the ground. However, Sol charged the towering barbarian, taking the larger man by surprise. Argon did not stop his charge, though taken back by Sol's action, thus allowing Sol to execute a strategy still used to this day by warriors in his situation. Sol ran full speed towards Argon, and at the last minute, he dove feet first between his legs. Argon's mighty hammer had already hit the ground when this was done, giving Sol the time he so desired.

Sol leaped into the air, his shield folding up again as his free hand began to glow orange, "I call Ragnarok!" A grand sword of pure light appeared in Sol's hand as he began his descent towards Argon's exposed back. The warrior king's teeth clenched together as the sword of light began to hurt the hand that wielded it. Sol let out a war cry of his own as he threw the sword with all his might and Psyenergy, aiming the mighty tip towards Argon's heart. The giant barbarian tried to turn around, but Ragnarok caught him in the arm, shooting through the limb and into his side. The magical blade sank deep into Argon's flesh, some saying that its tip cut his heart enough to put him on death's doorstep.

Sol landed on Argon's back and flipped to his front, landing just in front of Argon's bent form. Sol's amber eyes burned into Argon's charcoal orbs, "You shall die this day Argon, by the hand of Sol, the very king you defied!" He drove his golden Sol Blade into and through Argon's throat, severing his head with one swift blow. Sol grabbed Argon's head by its long, wild hair and held it as he stabbed Argon's dead, headless body and sent it a few feet away when he used his foot to remove the extra weight.

Sai and the other knights looked up to see Sol drive his blade into the sand and pick up Argon's war-hammer, Beowulf, and hold it high with Argon's head. The barbarians all stopped and gazed upon Sol, their moral dropping to almost zero upon seeing their mighty hero's head being held as a testament of their defeat.

And it was so, the barbarians dispersed and fled, the townsmen slaying another two-hundred fleeing barbarians before the rest disappeared beyond the rocky hills. The knights of the sun cheered as they counted their dead, seeing that none of them had been fatally wounded. Gil too raised his fist in celebration, though his body groaned in agony. However, all cheers of mirth were silenced when the sound of metal hitting dirt was heard. All eyes turned to Sol to see him kneeling, the various cuts and gashes from battle making themselves known in all their fury.

"Lord Sol,"

"My king," The knights all shouted, making their way to the injured warrior king. The ones who knew it immediately cast Cure and Aura to heal his injured body. The knights were all too busy to notice the worried eyes gazing upon the battered king.

**xxx**

Luna smiled when she saw the knights cheer in victory, glad that they had not lost any in their valiant mission to liberate this poor town. She glanced over towards Sol to get a look at the possible smile on his face. However, her violet eyes were met with the sight of a weakening king, his arms lowering to tiredly drop both the head of Argon, and Beowulf. She let out a sharp gasp when he fell to his knees, blood spilling from the wounds that had gone unseen even by her. She sprang to her feet, ready to heal him, when she heard the knights call out his name in concern.

A feeling of relief came over her when all twenty knights rushed over, each one casting healing spells on him to try and stop his suffering. Relieved as she was, she could not shake the concern she felt for him, and she did not know why. Deciding to let it go for the moment, Luna extended her wings and flew off for the time being, a plan forming in her mind.

**xxx**

It was not long before Sol and the other knights were offered the best rooms in the inn for their valiant deed. However, many refused, including Sol, who insisted on the owner offering the rooms to paying customers. When the owner would hear nothing of it, Sol offered to pay the full price for every room rented out, but the owner refused again. Sol sighed tiredly as he continued to try and negotiate with the owner. Eventually, the man gave in and accepted Sol's offer to pay for the rooms, though he would not budge on half-price deals for each.

"Very well, let us escort the women and children back, and then we shall eat and rest before leaving." Sol mounted Arvak and led the healthiest knights and a hand-full of townsmen to retrieve the women and children. Along the way, Van, who was one of the chosen, rode up beside Sol and leaned closer to whiper to him.

"Sire, I have news for you." Van glanced around, seeing that no one was listening in, "I caught sight of a maiden watching the battle, she left before I could address her."

Sol looked at Van and back at the rode before him, "What is so significant about this news Van, surely a mere woman watching a fight is nothing to fret about."

Van glanced around again, "That wasn't the amazing part sire, it was the fact that the women _flew_ off, with wings and all." Van straightened when he saw Sol's eyes widen and then soften, a slight smirk on his king's lips.

"Do not worry then Van, she is a friend, and will not harm us." Sol patted Arvak on the leg, signaling for him to speed up his trotting and pull away. Van was left gaping at his king's action, noting that something strange was going on.

xxx

When the night was half-way over, Luna circled around and made her way back towards Sungol. When her sharp eyes caught the small town, they lit up seeing a celebration go on. She swooped down and landed on a rooftop to watch the festive activities. She giggled upon seeing some of the knights singing songs, slightly drunk from their drinking. She glanced over to see many other knights dancing with the young women, moving in time with the festive tune. Yes, it was supposed to be a time of rest, but even Luna could feel the energy the moon was gracing the people with. She smiled as soft smile when she looked at all the joy bubbling through the liberated town, their freedom giving them all new energy.

"Do you plan on staying up there, or will you come down?" Luna yelped when she heard a familiar voice from the alley below her. She crawled to the roof's edge and looked down to see Sol grinning up at her, "Would you prefer I come up?" He cocked his head to the side.

"I'll come down, I've heard you are uncomfortable with heights." Luna chuckled when Sol gave her a fake insulted look. She jumped from the rooftop and examined Sol. He was not wearing his armor, instead he was wearing black pants and a loose black shirt with gold trims, "Ever the admirer of gold and black I see."

Sol looked at himself, "I find it is the only color that fits me." He looked at Luna when she chuckled quietly, "What is it?"

"Blue," Sol gave the blue-haired maiden a confused look, "the other color that fits you, blue."

Sol chuckled, "I see, perhaps I will give it a try, but tonight," He offered Luna his hand, "will you dance with me?" He bowed, smirking while Luna giggled at his dramatic antics.

"Shouldn't you be resting instead straining yourself?" Luna pointed to the bandages that were slightly exposed. Her eyes flashed with concern before they cleared. It was the smile on Sol's face that melted the concern, as if promising he'd be fine.

"A small price to pay for dancing with a beautiful woman." Sol and Luna stared at each other before they both laughed. Sol's smile only widened when Luna put her hand in his.

"Very well, but only if you promise to go straight to bed afterwards." Luna's tone was motherly, as if telling a small boy to go to bed after she got done reading another story. Sol nodded his promise and they both started for the town-square. However, just before they entered the view of the crowd, Luna snatched up an earth-colored cloth. She quickly put her long locks up into a bun and covered it with the cloth, concealing her light-blue hair, "I don't want anyone asking questions." She said when she got saw Sol staring at her questioningly.

**xxx**

The knights enjoying a festive time dancing stopped suddenly, all of them seeing something they'd never heard of. Sai and Gil stopped their arm-wrestling match and stared at the sight of Sol leading a beautiful young woman to the square, joining the people dancing, "Well I'll be a Mole King's uncle," Sai gaped. Many women had thrown themselves as Sol, but few could even get him to smile, let alone willingly dance with them.

"If that ain't the icing on the cake, and she's a looker too." Gil impishly slammed Sia's fist on the table, winning the match. While Sai yelled out in anger, Gil and the other knights watched closely as the music started again, bearing a jolly and energetic pace. The fiddles and the pipes seemed to have cast a spell over the celebrating people, everyone dancing in their own way.

Luna's face blushed slightly when she saw people staring at her, but she happily danced with Sol anyway. As for the other knights, they watched Luna and Sol closely, trying to think of how a beautiful woman like her could've gone unnoticed in the evacuation.

"Think she's one of the townsfolk?" One knight asked another.

"I'm not sure, but she's obviously close to Sol if she wears his Sun Cape." The knight pointed at the cloth worn around Luna's neck. Everything else about her looked to be normal. Her dress was nothing too fancy, not much fancier than the other young ladies' dresses. Everyone didn't suspect a thing, save for Van, who saw right through Luna's last-minute disguise.

It was all too soon that the song ended and the dancers took a rest. Sol and Luna snuck back to the alley where they had met and laughed at the fun time they just experienced. When their laughing calmed, Luna gave Sol a sturdy look, "Alright, now remember your promise knight."

"Yes, yes, but I have just one more issue to attend to." Sol bowed dramatically again, "Thank you Lady Luna, but I have remembered my rudeness."

"And what rudeness is that?" Luna asked, deciding to amuse him, though she wanted him to simply get some rest.

Sol looked up, "I did not give you my name," he paused to see Luna's eyes light up with curiosity, "I am simply known as Sol."

Luna nodded, "Sol, a fitting name, but now it is time for Sol," She spoke his name with a funny accent, "to get to bed and rest his tired body."

"Until we meet again then," Sol turned and walked off; making sure nobody was close enough to see Luna fly off. When he heard the sound of her wings flap and felt a cooling gust of wind hit the back of neck, he relaxed. Sol's dazed eyes snapped to attention when he heard a distant screech and dull pain shoot through his chest, reminding him that something was out there and it was not be ignored, 'I only wish our next meeting is a good one.'

And was so, the knights and townsfolk rested for two days before the twenty knights rode back to their capital, leaving an order for two-hundred soldiers to be stationed at Sungol for protection. The banners of the knights glowed like the sun as it rose above the horizon, for the events it foretold had not yet come to pass.

**A/N: I hope this was good, it took some thought to come up with this chapter. Until next time, please review and continue reading.**


	3. First Shadows

A/N: Deeply, deeply sorry for the long absence, I found myself not liking where I was taking the story and redirected it

**A/N: Deeply, deeply sorry for the long absence, I found myself not liking where I was taking the story and redirected it. Don't worry, I have everything straightened and ready to finish this story on my best note. **

**CH.3: First Shadows**

The cities of the Promised Ones were things of legend. They were grand, boasting designs that proclaimed their superior knowledge of alchemy. They floated atop the clouds, wanting to be as close to the moon as they could, as close to the embodiment of their leader's beauty. There were three in total: Algernon, Atlantis, and Lumeria. From each city, magical waters flowed, sending rain to the land below. Around each city, dozens of Promised Ones could be seen flying from one city to the other, the children frolicking in the fluffy clouds.

In Algernon, the capital city, the palace of Mother stood. Mother, a being of great Jupiter and Mercury power, acted as a source of wisdom to all. Though she was not the leader of the Promised Ones, her will held great influence in all decisions. The palace acted as the core of Algernon, stretching far above the other beautiful structures and reaching through the base and towards the ground. It was made up of eight towers, seven for each priestess that attended Mother, and the last for the Speaker of Divine Tongue, the only Promised One who could speak to Mother directly.

In the window of the eighth tower, a woman with long, blue hair sighed heavily. It was not one of sadness, but of slight longing. She hugged the cloth to her tighter, looking out into the night sky and at the large moon. She silently wished she was one with the moon at this time, so she could look down on the Golden City. She laughed at herself softly, "To think," She ran her fingers along the soft cloth, "I've become infatuated with a knight in a matter of hours." Her thoughts went to the battle in Sungol, remembering how the knight had fallen and so many rushed to his aid, "He must be widely respected for so many to rush to his side."

Luna's thoughts left the knight when she heard steps rushing towards her door. Tucking the cloth behind her, she turned to face the door, one of the servants rushing in, "Lady Luna," She paused to catch her breath, "the scouts have returned from the edges of Gaia, you must come quick!" Her eyes reflected a hint of panic.

Luna nodded her understanding and quickly put on her robes. She already knew she had to go to Mother; her words will be valuable in this situation. Luna followed the servant to the center of the castle, entering the grand room that held Mother. Mother stood over thirty feet tall, her form resembling a heavily armored mermaid. Her face was a white mask, slits for her eyes and mouth. Though she appeared more monstrous than anything, her presence let out an elegant aura. Luna stepped onto the platform that would levitate upwards, allowing her listen to Mother's words and relay them to the Council members. Many among the Council were highly skilled in mind-reading, preventing her from even the thought of lying about Mother's will, "Mother wishes to see the scouts that have returned."

As ordered, the guards opened the large door to the court, allowing a single scout to limp in. Accompanying the lone soldier, other knights stood close, aiding him in walking when needed. The scout did not say a work, instead removing the bandages on his arms and half his face to reveal his darkened skin, "I bring news from the edges of the world Mother," He lurched in pain, "just as you predicted, a Shadow had befallen our world and is slowly growing closer." He faltered, almost falling forwards. However, Horanimus Lex, one of the knights nearest him, held the scout up, "The Shadow chased our party Mother, and upon catching up to us, attacked."

Gasps rang through the hall, flustered whispers and murmuring erupting amongst the crowd of officials. Luna held up her hand, silencing the talkers, "Tell me brave warrior," Luna started, "how many of your party is left. We sent out ten to investigate, yet you are the only one to come tell this tale."

The scout looked down, "I am all that is left of the party Lady Luna. The Shadow, it strikes like an animal, but it has no definite shape. We took to the skies once it started to overwhelm us, but it took the form of a bird and gave chase. Only with the sacrifice of my brethren was I able to come here alive." He looked to his blackened skin, "However, it did manage to curse me. By day's end… I will die."

Luna's eyes widened slightly, "What was its shape when you fought it on the ground?"

The scout visibly shivered, "It was in the shape of black wolf… a large black wolf my Lady."

The Council focused their attention on Luna, "I see," One who had read her mind spoke, "you have encountered this Shadow before." He tried to see how she survived, but it was blocked, "I am unable to see how your battle went Lady Luna. Please, tell the hall how you managed to escape such a treacherous situation."

Luna closed her eyes and bit her lip slightly. Suddenly, she heard the voice of Mother. Her voice was soft and soothing, telling her that it was okay to tell them, fate had planned it so, "I was saved." More whispers, "I was saved by the very people who will fight alongside us against this Shadow."

"Who, my lady?" Horanimus Lex asked, his sharp blue eyes sharpening at the glow that appeared in Luna's eyes.

"We will petition the Golden Ones for aid." As she had thought, yells of outrage immediately rang through the hall.

"Are you mad!? Those people are barbarians, uncivilized monkeys, surely you jest when you suggest we ask them for help!" One of the Councilmen was up on his feet, roaring at the very thought. Protests were mutual, many of the occupants, including the knights and servants, voicing some form of disagreement.

Luna raised her hand again, hearing Mother's voice yet again, "Mother has just given her verdict," The room grew silent, the Jupiter Adepts reading Luna's mind immediately, "she agrees with my proposal, predicting that light of the Golden King, god of the sun, will defeat the Shadow that threatens us." No one dare try to say she was lying, not willing to directly defy Mother.

"Does Mother know that with the aid of the Spirits we will not require the Golden People's aid?" Horanimus Lex asked, his voice hiding his spite very well.

Luna nodded, "Mother knows, but the Spirits refuse to help unless the Golden King requests aid as well." A small smirk worked its way onto her face, "In short Horanimus Lex, without the Golden People, the Spirits think we're worthless."

Horanimus Lex's jaw tightened in slight anger, "Understood," He stepped towards his fellow knights and remained silent, closing his eyes lest he glare at those he should not be raising his head to.

"Who shall go to the Golden People?"

Luna kept her noble air, "Mother has chosen the seven priestesses and me. We will not convince them without showing how much we care about this issue." Everyone remained silent, once again bowing to Mother's will.

Far below the floating cities, in the familiar mountains, a king thought about the state of his sun bathed kingdom. Sol stifled a sigh of boredom while Walter rambled on about the various reports of bandits leaving towns. The defeat of Argon still rung strongly amongst the mountains and the rolling plains. Songs were sung and poems written of Sol's victory, many coming to pay homage to their king and savior, "Walter," Sol finally stopped the pleased old man, "if you wouldn't mind reporting on that issue I had you look into?"

Walter thought for a few seconds before he remembered what his king was speaking of, "You mean the Shadow sire?" Sol nodded, "Unfortunately, we have not heard of anything related to such a thing. My deepest apologies sire."

Sol grunted and continued to think of what this Shadow could be. When he first saw the beast, it gave him an ominous feeling, as if whispering in his ear its purpose. In his heart of hearts, he feared the Shadow's mysteriousness. It was not a fear for himself, for Sol feared no beast or man, but it was a fear for his people. If not stopped, there was no telling what evil could befall his kingdom. A commotion brought him from his thoughts, the sound of hooves pounding brick echoing through the great hall. As soon as a knight burst in on horseback, Sol gave him permission to speak, "Speak now, I assume your news is urgent."

"Sire," The knight removed his hood to reveal Sai, "there is a city floating in the sky!" Sai looked behind him, a golden eagle swooping in to land at Sol's feet, "It's the Promised Ones sire, they are just outside our city gates!"

Sol silently removed the note from the eagle's talons and started to read it, "Tell the knights to prepare for battle, but do not attack." He finished the note and motioned for Walter to come closer, "Send a messenger, tell him to allow the Promised Ones' representatives to come unharmed." Sol's lips turned into a smirk, "It seems I just found information on our Shadow Walter."

And it was so, Sol's orders were carried out to perfection. As the golden gates opened for the priestesses and Luna, Knights of Sol lined the pathway, swords holstered and spears tucked away. The knights examined the priestesses in shock. Instead of robe wearing maidens, they were adequately armed female knights. If it weren't for the Knights of Sol being on horseback, they would've been equally prepared for battle.

Van, having sharp eyes and memory, examined Luna very closely. He recognized her as the maiden who had been spying during the battle of Sungol and the one who danced with the king, 'What is she doing here?' Van was the first to dismount and follow the maidens in, just as their traditions ordered.

Luna felt her heart leap for the third time as she stepped into the grand Court of the Sun, throne-room to the god of the sun. The first time her heart jumped was upon entering the capital of the Golden People. It was even grander up close, opposed to seeing it from above. She subtly examined how the people stared in curiosity, memorized the warm glow of the town, and the hospitable heat from the sun above. Deep in her heart, she prayed to meet the knight once more, to see his warm smile among the knights lining the road. However, she did not see him. She resisted the urge to frown, for fear that she might insult her gracious hosts. Her heart leapt a second time when the knights dismounted in one, unified motion. It was awe inspiring, their training and brotherhood shining through like the sun itself.

And it was so, the seven Priestesses of Mother and the Speaker of Divine Tongue entered the Court of the Sun. Their white robes and armor shined even brighter in the golden room, the constant blessing of the sun's heat kissing their faces and making their bodies tingle with warmth. It was a wordless welcome, a welcome none of them would forget. However, Luna could not shake her disappointment in the absence of the knight Sol, her knight.

"Welcome ambassadors of the Promised Ones," Walter nervously started, "to what do we owe this… unusual honor?"

Luna gave Walter a sharp look, "I believe we stated our reason for audience in our message." Luna was already tired of listening to Walter and addressed the king directly, "Sire, we humbly ask for your aid. A creature, the Shadow, has begun to eat the lands at the edge of Gaia. We have already lost precious lives in trying to gather information; please we ask that you hear our plans for killing it."

On the other side of the veil, Sol's eyes were wide with surprise, 'I recognize that voice anywhere.' He smiled softly, but remained silent, seeing what Luna would do if he did not respond.

After a few moments of silence, Luna spoke again, "Please Golden King," Luna humbly bowed, the priestesses hesitantly following suit, "we beg for your help. We cannot defeat the Shadow without the help of your might."

Walter nervously looked towards the veil, "I-It is apparently clear that his highness has no interest in aiding you, I," Walter was silenced when Sol's hand was placed gently on his shoulder, "M-My king?" His old eyes widened in shock, "No my lord, you mustn't gaze upon them with your eyes, they will eat your soul!"

"Be silent Walter, I am about to speak." Luna gasped at the voice. It was filled with authority, but it was still gentle and caring. Sol stepped out of the veil and smiled down at his guests, "Please, rise, we will go to the conference room where you all can sit comfortably."

Luna stood amongst her fellow Promised Ones, awed by the presence of Sol. However, as the priestesses began following the Golden King, Luna's face became filled with indignation, "What trickery is this!?" She stepped in front of the priestesses, halting their advance towards the conference room, "I know for a fact that this man is a mere knight!" She pointed an accusing finger at Sol, glaring at Walter with cold fury, "We ask for the common decency to meet with your king and you try to fool us with a mere servant!?"

The knights, and Walter, looked to Sol expecting an equally appalled reaction. However, Sol's face remained filled with warmth and a chilling calm. He fully faced his guests and stood straighter, eyes lighting ablaze with flames, body appearing as solid as the very mountains his kingdom dwelled in, "Van," His voice was deep and powerful, "tell them who I am."

Van swallowed, shocked by suddenly being addressed, "This _is_ the Lord of the Sun, the Golden King, the Bronze Knight, he who can burn the world with unforgiving fire, the one who can raise entire mountains with only the flick of his wrist. He is the god of all who control the flames, the lord of every pebble and every speck of sand along the beaches." Van raised his eyes to look at Sol, "This is King Sol, the fifty-second reincarnation of the Great Creator."

Luna looked around, once again taken back by what she saw. In the presence of Sol, while he was in this very state, as his many titles and great powers were professed, all trembled. For all, they trembled with fear and humility to Sol's might, but also with great praise at the caring amber eyes that burned like a fierce flame, "I am," Luna gracefully bowed to Sol, "truly sorry Great King, I was unaware."

Sol's body relaxed, his warm expression returning, "Think nothing of it." He focused on her, sure to capture her violet eyes with his own, "I simply hope I will not have to show you my rougher side for the rest of this visit." He smirked at her flustered expression and pivoted, his black cape fluttering behind him, "Come, we have much to discuss."

And it was so, the Promised Ones and the Golden King and his knights spent three days discussing this plan. Through all three of these days, both the sun and moon blessed them with clear light, silently approving of the long awaited cooperation of their people. This was not surprising, considering how both Sol and Luna are parts of the very sun and moon themselves. On the fourth day, a plan was finished. Around the great table of the conference room, on the face of the sun carved into it, an alliance of ethereal proportions was made.

"It is decided then," Sol started, "we shall travel to the Ancient Lands and address the Great Spirits ourselves." He looked to Luna, "We will show them our alliance and move to strike at the heart of the Shadow."

Sai and the other knights simultaneously saluted, "Tell us when we leave your highness, we will have twenty-thousand ready in mere hours."

Sol smiled at his knights, "Ah, it is good to see you all so enthusiastic about this," He looked to Luna, "however, only Luna and myself will be going to the Ancient Lands."

At this, both the knights and the priestesses objected, "It will be meaningless to march armies to the Ancient Lands for a mere conference." Luna reasoned.

"But there are perils you will face, please at least take some protection with you!" Van pointed out, begging his king and Luna to consider it. He looked to Sol when his hand rested on his shoulder.

"Van, I will place you in command of our forces. You are to gather twenty-thousand in good time and march to the Outer Regions. Luna and I will be waiting there with the Great Spirits. From there, we march to confront the Shadow from there." Sol stood and walked out, making sure to place his hand on Luna's shoulder on his way out.

Luna ignored the lingering tingle of his touch, addressing the Priestesses of Mother, "Listen to me, relay our meeting to Horanimus and gather an equal number of our forces. Follow the Knights of Sol to the Outer Regions and await our commands." She too stood and looked at the faces in the room, "On this day, our people will be one, during this fight, we will be united." She kindly smiled at the knights under Sol's command, "I dearly hope that our people will remain united after this." Luna bowed and exited the room, following the path of Sol to the nearby balcony.

The cooling night air cooled her skin, finally noticing the heat that built inside her body from the heated discussions. She slowly came up behind Sol and stood beside him, looking out into the starry night sky. The past four days had been both trying and wonderful. She felt drained from the marathon of responsibilities, but she felt as light as air while in Sol's presence. Without thinking, and caring for that matter, Luna embraced Sol's arm and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"A valiant rescue and a dance is all it takes to snare the beautiful Luna?" Sol chuckled, adjusting his position so she could be more comfortable. He removed the gloves on his hands and placed one on the pale surface of Luna's hand.

Luna laughed herself, "Do not misunderstand _knight_," She made sure to smile while she emphasized his 'name', "I simply enjoy the warmth that comes from you."

Sol felt his pride grow, "Who doesn't?" He felt Luna lightly elbow him in his side, "Ah but I also find your cooling presence addicting." He slightly turned his head, still staring at the moon. He rested his chin on her head, enjoying the feel of her silky hair.

"How long have we known each other Sol?" Luna looked out over the horizon, seeing where the mountains interrupted the ever extensive sky, "Has it been a mere handful of months?"

Sol grunted, tilting his head so that his cheek was against her hair, "No my dear Luna, it has been far longer than that." He smirked calmly, rubbing her hand with his rough thumb, "I've gazed upon your celestial form ever since I could see with my own eyes."

Luna blushed and laughed, "You know how to flatter a woman great king." She breathed deeply and looked longingly over the horizon, "I too have gazed upon you. Though I dare not look upon you when at your brightest, I see you when at your most magnificent. I've often looked at your fading light as you go beyond the horizon, longing to see the very sunsets that you masterfully paint."

Sol laughed strongly, his joy growing when he heard Luna giggle beside him, "What words are these that we speak? We talk like old lovers." Sol looked down at Luna, meeting her gaze once more. He no longer knew which had cast the spell, but he could not look away from her.

"We are Sol," Luna reached up and tangled her pale fingers in his golden hair, "we have seen each other from afar, but never touched. We've longed to speak with one another, but we were often too busy to stop and listen."

Sol leaned down, their lips only a breath away, "The day we did stop to listen, the day we did touch," He paused, taking in her cool aura for the hundredth time, "it was so."

"Tell me Sol, speak the words you've longed to tell me." Luna's voice was far below a whisper, mouthing her words. Her delicate actions spelled her fear of this situations fragility, afraid if she spoke too loudly, it would shatter.

Sol smiled warmly and closed the distance, joining their lips in the gentlest of kisses. He held her in the gentle embrace, running a hand through her hair, "I've loved you for the longest time my Most Precious of Moons."


	4. Great Spirits

_I am saddened to inform whomever is reading this tome that the original author has passed on. He was up in age, a man filled with much wisdom and grand dreams. Fear not, for as he began this tale, I sat at his bedside, listening as he spoke aloud his dreams and visions of what occurred those many years ago. Yes, as the war over alchemy still lingers across our lands, he sits and writes. Often he would gaze at the Jupiter Lighthouse, muttering humble prayers to the sun god, ruler of Venus and Mars. I will digress, for this tale must be told..._

**Great Spirits**

The morning sun hung over the warm lands of Thangoran, the Floating City of Algernon hovering just to its eastern side. As they were commanded, the Priestesses of Mother informed Horanimus of their plan, a hawk sent to assemble twenty-thousand to match the numbers of Sol's army. It is said that when the people looked to the darkening skies, the feral cries of the Shadow could be heard echoing through the mountains.

And it was so, the gods Sol and Luna mounted horses at the front gates of the Golden City, riding off into the day with haste. For two days they rode, stopping only to drink and rest. Conversation was sorely missed, the weight of their mission stealing their words, but not their hearts.

On the third day, as they prepared to set off from the edges of the Ashen Forests, just before the Ancient Lands, Sol felt the earth shudder. He looked down at the earth beneath his feet, amber eyes hardening as he felt a sharp cry course through his bones, "Our sister Gaia moans in agony Luna."

Luna's eyes saddened, a frown adorning her face, "I know, she has spoken to me about how much this Shadow hurts her so." She sighed and looked to Sol, seeing him look nostalgic as he observed the still green grass, "What troubles you love?" Luna stepped to him and gently embraced him, hoping to soothe his worry.

Sol's distant expression grew regretful, "It has been a long time since I last spoke to Gaia myself," He looked to the ashen trees around them, "I do not know why, we simply lost touch."

Luna hummed lightly, "Yet you can still control the earth?" She was answered with a display, a small plant sprouting from the ground, "Honestly Sol," She looked up playfully, "I asked if you could control it, not if you could grow a garden."

Sol was slightly shocked by her words, but soon complied by closing his fist, raising it into the air. He looked down at her and smirked, admiring the look of confusion she held, "Good enough _love_?"

Luna continued to stare in confusion before she turned. As she did so, she gasped, noticing that Sol had lifted the very ground they stood on half a mile out on all sides, "I was merely jesting Sol," She lightly shook her head at his proud posture, "now set it down before you hurt yourself."

Sol shrugged and did as he was told, setting the large portion of earth down where he had first lifted it, "So what point were you getting at Luna?"

Luna quickly checked the harnesses of her horse, "I was trying to point out that if you still command earth," She turned to smile at him gently, "then she continues to adore you."

The Golden King nodded his approval of such logic, patting Arvak as he began to mount. Shaking off the lingering grogginess, Sol started further towards their destination, "If we keep a brisk pace, we should reach the Ancient Lands by mid-day."

Luna silently followed, eyes to the sky as the atmosphere grew the slightest bit darker. She resisted the urge to chew her lip, sensing that its color had little to do with their current foe, but with what ailed Gaia herself. It was true that Gaia mentioned the Shadow when portraying her pain to the embodied moon, but she also mentioned something else, "Tell me dear Sol," Luna started, "what do you plan to do about the lower world?"

Arvak stopped, Sol freezing at the very unexpected question, "What makes you think of that?" His eyes grew darker. Like the great hammer of Argon, Beowulf, the very hammer strapped to Arvak's side, memories of Walter's words came back. It was seldom that Sol heard about Weyard, but the latest word angered him slightly. His amber eyes met Luna's cool gaze. However, he quickly broke eye contact, continuing forward, "I am dealing with it."

"How Great King?" Luna instantly regretted the biting tone, but held firm, "I am just as much a god as you are Sol, now answer me." She rode up beside him and locked his gaze, "If they continue, their lust for power will kill their world and possibly Gaia herself."

Sol closed his eyes, "I plan on stripping them of alchemy." He heard Luna gasp, "I will fling them into the Dark Ages. I heard the prayers of those among them willing to end their senselessness and even proposed a plan." He smirked and looked to the blue sky, "I plan to grant their prayers, and seal alchemy until only the worthy find it."

Luna stared at Sol in disbelief, "And if no person who is worthy comes along?"

"I know full well what robbing them of alchemy will do Luna," Sol's eyes grew slightly darker, "If no worthy soul comes along, their world will die, saving Gaia from their poison." He put pressure on Arvak's sides, ushering him forward, "We will discuss this further after we defeat this Shadow, it is the most dire threat at this time!"

The Moon looked after the advancing Sun, soon following. Her thoughts dwelt on the suffering that will come from Sol's decision. However, as he said, they must defeat the Shadow, 'But there must be another way.'

And it was so, by mid-day of the third day of travel, Sol and Luna reached the Ancient Lands. After stopping for a rest, both gods continued through the night, seeking the Court of Spirits, the place where the Great Spirits dwelled. As the smooth light of the moon lit the grey lands of raw earth, Sol and Luna approached the final rise before the Court. They stopped atop the final hill, looking down at the small valley that led to an expanse of arranged stone. The Court itself was nothing more than a marble altar, statues of both the Sun and Moon in their first lives standing on either side. The altar stood on a circular slab of finely crafted stone, a painting of a large Golden Sun with an elegant Silver Moon resting at its center.

Sol and Luna silently advanced on the altar, dismounting from their horses at a reasonable distance. Sol took one step onto the solid stone, the image of the Golden Sun lighting up. Luna followed, the Silver Moon illuminating respectively, "It is an honor to see the Sun and Moon standing united," A gentle voice smoothly greeted, the form of a woman draped in a red dress with violet frills appearing, "greetings to the both of you."

Sol bowed his head politely, "It has been a longtime Iris," He raised his head and glanced to his right, "and it always a pleasure to be in the presence of Catastrophe and Judgement." His eyes returned to Iris, the two angelic knights appearing on either side of her. Catastrophe, having appeared out of the shadows of the night, dwarfed Iris and Judgement. Judgement, having appeared out of a pillar of light, bowed to Sol, indignantly glaring at his demonic looking brother.

"Have you no respect? You shall bow to your god." Judgement met the maddened eyes of Catastrophe with a silent fury.

"Enough," A tall Spirits interjected, "now is not the time for your fighting." He folded his arms, his long claws dripping poison, his sharp yellow eyes focused on Sol and Luna, "Greetings great Sun and Moon, it is an honor." His skin was lightly covered in blue fur, orange clothe draped over his sleek, feline form. Golden rings and bracelets decorated his body, each glistening in the glow of the moon.

The air suddenly grew cold, a mist lightly coating the ground, "Indeed," A frighteningly calm voice spoke from behind Sol and Luna, a Spirit in a red hood passing between them, "always an honor, always our pleasure." His long crimson robe hid the long claws of his hands, but his black wings stood as a testament to who he was.

One by one, the Great Spirits appeared, from the large dragon Eclipse, to the swift Atalanta. In minutes, the Spirits were gathered around Sol and Luna, watching and waiting for their meeting to begin. Iris, the goddess of the Great Spirits, looked to Sol and Luna, "I have heard the voice of Mother from a great distance away," She looked to Sol, "I have also heard the cries of Gaia," She looked to her fellow Spirits, "and I have listened to the howls of the Shadow in the stillness of the night." She looked once again to Sol and Luna, "Tell us now, embodiments of the elements, what will you have us do?"

Luna stepped forward, "We want your aid when we confront the Shadow."

It was a simple answer, yet powerful enough to make the assembly go silent. Sol looked at the Spirits, observing postures and exchanged looks. As time ticked by, he grew all the more suspicious, "You know something Iris," He looked to the stoic Spirit, "you've seen the future have you not?" He didn't give her a chance to answer, looking to Charon, "You've foreseen who will live and die so tell me, why do you look at us as if we will never meet like this again!?"

Luna returned to standing at Sol's side, realizing that his words were true. The Spirits seemed apprehensive to do as they were told, "Please Iris," Luna looked to the goddess, "what is it that you've seen."

"The Shadow is no normal foe Great Heavenly Bodies," Iris hesitantly began, "it has taken the form of a god itself, and it possesses a weapon capable of slaying even the Sun and Moon."

"If you are to engage the Shadow in battle," Catastrophe looked deep into Sol's eyes, "many will fall... including you Great King."

xxxxxxxxx

NOTE: The text following this section of the tome was damaged beyond repair, scribes were unable to copy the text, thus removing the rest of the Spirit's meeting with the Great Heavenly Bodies. According to research done by Babi, upon his legendary return from Lumeria, it is believed that there was a one week period of stillness across the land.

xxxxxxxxx

The drums beat hard in his ear, his senses drinking in his surroundings. At his feet was the dry, dead earth. A still, black fog hung low over the hills, the echoing of seemingly distant snarls ringing into his ears. The air was thick, filled with the rotten corpses of fallen people and animals, Children of Gaia. He opened his eyes, taking in the black dirt below, and the grey sky above. All color was gone, the fog having devoured it into itself, eating the very land itself, consuming life itself. Beyond here, beyond the jagged rocks and rolling hills was nothing but blackness, an inky, endless blackness. He had no name, he had no family, no not when he was here. No, here there was only the man to your sides, the sword and spear strung to your body, and the cool kiss of the water that hung at your hip. Here, there was only blood, iron, and darkness. This was the Shadow, and he was a Sol knight. Here, on this field of blood and iron, he would burn this being into nothing.

Here, there was only blood and iron...

**A/N: Not quite as long as my others, but it got the job done. Anyway, just to let you guys know, I'm not really dead, didn't want people getting depressed or nothing. If you haven't noticed, this is supposed to be written like an ancient story-slash-document so the missing piece part was for the sake of... well... that's a whole other story. Please read and review!**


	5. Ode to the Sun

**Ode to the Sun**

Sol stood atop a rugged overpass, watching the mixture of Promised armies and the brave soldiers of the Golden People. Against the dead, ashen surroundings, it was a vibrant mixture of gold and royal blue. Until the sun finished its ascent into the sky, the armies marched to the outermost reaches of Gaia. With a single command, they stopped, Horanimus standing amongst Sol and his men with his own officers. They both exchanged looks, facing the smoky darkness that seemed to finally acknowledge their presence.

The wind carried the stench of stolen life and stale screams as the unseen beast growled at his hunters. With a feral scream, the black fog began to stir, molding, splitting, and combining. In a second's time, atop the black soil, an equal mass of dark monsters formed. From blood-thirsty beast to towering masses of living armor, the armies of the Shadow matched the defenders of Gaia.

The Golden King shifted, the shrill scream of his fellow deity, Gaia, ringing in his ears as the earth began to shift. Out of the hilly landscape, spikes of solid rock shot out, some reaching colossal heights, swirling the lingering black fog. The leaders of the joint assault looked deep into the inky blackness, hearing the distinct sound of heavy breathing among the straining earth's shrieks, "Foolish, arrogant, blasphemous." The voice was deep, far from human, "The gods dare stand against me, the gods only set themselves up to die a slow and painful death."

Sol did not respond, instead raising his fist. The embodiment of the sun remained stoic, his gaze steady as the power of Mars collected in his palm, "Rolling Beam," An intense stream of focused heat left his palm. As the armies prepared to charge, he raised his other hand, using Move to pick up the spikes of earth that stained the battlefield. Going off of Sol's example, those at a distance kept a steady stream of spells, hurling them at the Shadow's minions. Spikes of earth, balls of fire, spears of lightning, freezing winds, and many more spells dug into the ranks of the Shadow. Donning helmets, Sol and his men charged into the maelstrom, followed close behind by Horanimus Lex.

High above the battlefield, the Great Spirits watched. Luna stood on the back of the enormous Eclipse, watching the battle unfold, "Prepare to go in, we must cut Sol a path to the Shadow!" She continued to watch, raising her hand in preparation. She watched as Sol, on the back of Arvak, used both his sword and the hammer Beowulf to dispel his foes. Her sharp vision caught sight of Horanimus leading his men, freezing the enemy with Tundra, blowing them away with Spark Plasma. Feeling a sharp plunge of her stomach, Luna looked back to Sol, seeing him alone and surrounded. She looked for Arvak, seeing the large steed fending off foes of his own with his mighty hooves.

Sol deflected the claws of a feral beast, cursing when he felt the biting sting of the Shadow's poison. It had infected the air, becoming a disease of death and darkness. Cursing loudly, Sol spun around, raising Beowulf high into the air. With another roar, he brought it down, slamming the ground and blowing the enemies surrounding him away. Sol raised his hand once more, "Protector!" A crimson aura surrounded all of his allies near him, the claws and swords of their enemies now dealing much less damage than before, "Push forward men, we must continue to advance!"

Horanimus rolled his eyes and drove his Mercury empowered hand into the torso of a charging enemy, freezing it. Closing his fist, the Shadow Minion exploded into bits of frost, the silent Promised knight continuing to the next enemy. However, as he felled yet another foe, he felt himself being grabbed roughly by a large hand. Before he knew what was going on, the world started spinning ,wind rushing by his long white hair. He slammed into the ground, having been thrown by a colossal suit of armor, "What is that monstrosity!?"

Sol heard the cries of Horanimus and looked to see a single suit of armor mowing through his men, "Sai," He looked to the nearest man on horseback, "take down that armor, we'll continue to push through!"

"No," Horanimus approached the armor with a deep scowl, "he's mine, I will not be handled so loosely by a mere pile of lifeless steel!" He raised both hands, the power of Jupiter and Mercury swirling around his open palms. However, as he felt a strange concentration of Jupiter Psynergy above him, Horanimus rolled to his left, a Spark Plasma barely missing him, 'What,' He saw the armor pointing his sword to the air, 'It can use the power of Jupiter!?'

The armor cackled, its evil eyes glaring at the stunned Horanimus, "Foolish demi-god," It towered over Horanimus, "you cannot stand against the might of Sentinel with your sad excuse of power." He raised his sword, ready to bring it down on Horanimus' head.

"I call on the power of RAGNAROK!" A Sol Knight descended from the sky, a large sword glowing with the power of Venus in his hands. He drove the point of the sword into Sentinel, jumping as the suit of armor let out a pained cry. However, before he could back away, Sentinel back-fisted him, sending the knight flying.

Horanimus was on his feet, sword in hand. He managed to get in just under Sentinel, catching sight of Sai from between Sentinel's legs. He pointed his sword for Sentinel's neck, exacting another cry as the sword was driven deep into his skull. Though without a body to protect, Sentinel found this blow to be everything but fatal.

"I call upon the ODYSSEY!" Before the suit of armor could address Horanimus, glowing swords skewered him, Sai leaping around to face Sentinel. The Sol Knight's sword pointed at the weakened armor, the short Sol Blade enveloped by a large, decorated sword that was greater than Ragnarok. Screaming a dark, wicked curse, the sword skewered Sentinel, slaying him.

Sol slammed the hammer into another enemy, smirking to himself, "Well played," He took a breather to look out at the flood of enemies, "well played indeed." He felt Arvak place his snout on his shoulder. Patting the steed, Sol took a deep breath, nearly coughing at the stale, distasteful air. He took a large leap, shooting into the air, "Magiddo!" He shot past the clouds, glancing at the awaiting Great Spirits as the sky grew crimson. Raising his sword, a large sphere of golden light engulfed his blade. When he was sure he had amassed enough power, Sol descended, hearing the command from Luna to the Spirits.

And it was so, as the armies of gold and the warriors of promise looked up to the sky, they saw the combined might of the four elements descend as one. Judgement fired the power of Venus into the horde of Shadow. As the explosion blew hundreds into oblivion, Catastrophe fired the combined power of the elements from his sword. The flood of power kept coming, from the skillfully aimed arrows of Atalanta, to the large missile of Daedalus, explosions, beasts, and swords struck down the hordes of the Shadow.

Sol, atop Arvak, bounded deeper into the darkness, his most trusted knights riding alongside him. His burning eyes glanced upwards, seeing Luna riding the Great Spirit Procne, the large bird-like creature gliding through the sky. Looking forward once more, Sol scowled as the black fog formed three more large shapes. As they approached, one took the form of a robe wearing magician, another the form of a heavy winged demon with a golden hammer. The third shadow took a form similar to Sentinel, but he was larger in size, and his armor was a deep, dark purple. Sol steered Arvak away, multi-colored spheres shooting from the magician and hitting Van.

Following the example of his brother, the winged demon went for Luna atop Procne, but Gil intercepted his strike, driving the demon into the ground with a powerful Planetary attack, "King Sol," Gil rolled away from the golden hammer, "leave these beasts to us, you and Lady Luna must advance!" Gil took up his bow and readied an arrow, empowering it with the power of Mars.

Sol nodded and stared down the final foe standing between him and the source of the Shadow. He lightly tapped Arvak's ear, silently telling the steed to prepare for a full charge. Commanding the large horse forward, Sol cast Quake Sphere, the earth rising around the headless mass of armor. Arvak jumped and ran along the upturned earth, but had to come to screeching halt when their enemy appeared before them suddenly. Sol was plucked from Arvak's back and thrown to the ground, a large foot slamming into him to keep him from getting up. When it's attention focused on Arvak, he got two hooves to the chest, sending the armor flying off of Sol and onto the rough ground.

Luna swooped down with Procne, picking up Sol before ascending out of the armor's reach, "Sol," Luna cradled his head in her arms, casting healing spells on him as he recovered, "we have to pull back, that foe is greater than the others."

Sol waited for his head to calm before opening his eyes, the fire in them seeming to grow even more ferocious, "Set me down, I will turn that thing inside out." He didn't wait for a response, instead looking down to the battlefield. His eyes sharpened upon seeing Arvak, one of his most trusted friends, fighting the large suit of armor by itself, "If I jump from here, I'll be able to deal good damage before it has a chance to counter." He took a step to leap off of Procne, but a gentle hand stopped him.

Luna met his gaze evenly, quickly nodding with love in her eyes, "Be careful Sol, it would be unfortunate for the Sun to fall to the hands of such a thing." She looked over the battlefield and cast High Impact, vastly increasing the power of Sol and his knights.

The Golden King nodded his thanks and jumped, using Planetary to strike the large suit of armor from behind. Before it could recover, he cast Odyssey, timing his strike with the skewering blades. He weilded the large sword with ease, driving it into the armor before jumping into the air once more. Continuing his onslaught of attacks, he cast Ragnarok driving both his Sol Blade and Ragnarok into the suit's chest.

"Ice Missile," A cry came from above, large spikes of ice skewering and finishing the suit of armor. Looking up, Sol smirked as Luna came in once more, shooting him a confident smile. Sol mounted Arvak and followed Procne to the center of the black fog, feeling a potent increase in the ominous presence.

The same voice, the deep voice from before spoke, "So it is the Sun and Moon themselves that come to slay me." The thick fog began to twist once more, taking the form of a familiar feral wolf. However, as it growled, its shape twisted once more. Out of the inky blackness, a bleach white mask formed, the image of a human face carved into it. Around the mask, the fog formed a cloak-like shape, "You are both fools."

Luna and Sol looked back at Procne, advising the spirit to fly back to the others, make sure they all are alright. When the spirit flew off, Sol and Luna glared at the Shadow, drawing their weapons. Luna pointed the tip of her spear at the white mask, preparing to drown the foe with Psynergy as Sol took the front position.

The Shadow withdrew a hand from within the fog, a silver liquid dripping from his cupped palm. As if it had a life of its own, the liquid became a long, sing-edged sword, "Einzheimer," It raised the sword with admiration, "a weapon that can slay even gods." Skulls decorated its hilt, black vines adorning the blade. Evil seemed to ooze from the silver sword, much like its liquid form did.

"Funny," Sol readied his Sol Blade and unfolded his golden shield, "I do not remember a god ever falling to such a weapon." He charged the Shadow, meeting the silver sword with his golden one. A powerful Shine Plasma lit the inky darkness, beginning the battle between the two forces.

_NOTE: The manuscript from the original tome has never been found. However, based upon the following text, the knights of Sol: Van, Gil, and Sai, all fell while slaying the three shadows they battled._

The shadow twisted and howled as it tangled with Sol, the power of Jupiter and Mercury constantly damaging him. However, with every part of its body that was destroyed, more of the black fog replaced it. It is said that the battle with the Shadow lasted two days, the joined armies holding the hordes of the Shadow.

And it was so, while the battle with the Shadow continued, the wars of the lower world, Weyard , grew to a close. Masters of the elements, skilled and wise Adepts, sealed alchemy in their world and sealed away the Golden Sun. It was at this time, Sol, the great king of Mars and Venus, felt his power return to him. The Golden Sun was summoned, forcing the Shadow to scream in pain as the black fog began to die. Screaming a series of bloodthirsty curses towards the Great King, it went o drive Einzheimer into the heart of Sol.

And it was so, Luna flung herself in front of the idle king, Einzheimer piercing her through. The blood of Luna splashed Sol and painted the Outermost Lands red. It is said, that to this day, the lands remain crimson and no life grows in mourning for her. Sol cried out in anger, taking up her lance and his Sol Blade. Using all his might, he skewered the remnants of the Shadow, tears of agony seeping from his amber eyes.

It is said, on this field of blood and iron, Sol took up the body of Luna and buried her in on the moon, forever a part of her heavenly body. It is said, on this field of blood and iron, Sol, King of the Sun, the Golden King, the embodiment of the very Sun itself...

...was never seen again.

**xxxx**

"... the end." Kraden closed the dusty book and placed it in the box sitting next him, "So, what did all of you think?"

The heroes of Weyard were currently helping a certain old scholar move his massive collection of books and papers from his old home, having already built his new residence farther from the base of Mt. Aleph, "That was a sad story," Sheba was the first to speak, frowning at how sad it was that Luna died.

Ivan hummed from beside her, a small pile of random books on Sol Sanctum in his arms, "I don't know, something seems... off about it. All in all, it was a very inspiring story, sad, but inspiring." He set down the book in a crate and closed it, sitting on top. His tired expression grew irked when a large body leaned on him.

"Other than the romance parts," Garet greedily bit into a large apple, "it was a good story." He swallowed and looked up into space, "To think, Sol could be such a strong warrior."

"True," All eyes went to the leader of the original journey, Isaac finishing his current task of clearing a crickety bookshelf, "Sol was strong, but he was a great leader too." He frowned slightly, "Losing someone you love is very hard, even for a god." He looked to Kraden, "Is the legend true Kraden?"

The old scholar stroked his chin and leaned back in his chair, "Hard to say. Many scholars dispute over its accuracy, some saying a madman wrote it, others saying someone with the gift of Alchemy penned the tome. My opinion is that it is partially true."

"Whether its true or not is beside the point," Felix appeared out of Kraden's back-room, Piers following close behind. Both men were carrying a sizable pile of books.

Jenna glared at Garet and snatched the apple, growing tired of hearing him munch on it loudly, "What is the point then Felix?" She innocently asked, ignoring Garet's screams of protest. Jenna easily weaved between his grabs, tripping him without a second thought.

Felix gave Jenna a disapproving look, "The point is tht we still have quite a bit of work to do," He set the books down in a half-full box, "we should wait until we're done to talk about an old book."

Jenna pouted, "You're no fun Felix."

Isaac chuckled at his friends, "He's right though," He started.

"Um, Jenna," Mia called from within the... I guess you'd call it a kitchen, "can you lend me a hand?" Mia exited the kitchen and smiled at everyone, "It seems Kraden neglected to dispose of his stockpile of food before setting out to the Sol Sanctum."

Everyone looked to the scholar, only receiving a shrug in response. Laughter filled the room, the friends enjoying the peace that lifted the weight from their shoulders and the warm glow of the Golden Sun.

**A/N: Vague ending that leaves much to the imagination... sort of. Remember, there is a reason it's like this, but depending on your opinion, I might do the connecting fiction. If nobody shows interest, I'll leave this as it stands. **


	6. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Sunlight. Sunlight hit his eyes as he finally clawed his way up to the surface of Weyard. Mt. Aleph, the once tall mountain, had collapsed over him, sealing him inside the heart of Weyard. However, the power that pumped within him would not allow him to die, no, not this day, not at this hour. He dug his gloved fingers into the loose soil, noticing that it was damp with the morning dew.

A head of blue hair sprang out from within the wreckage of the great mountain. His body was filthy with mud and his own blood. His face was pale and tired, though his eyes remained bright. Within those eyes, one could see the power within him, a power mixed with anger and frustration. He had fought so hard, planned into the wee hours of the morning, and for what? He had gone through a virtual hell for only half of what he wanted, "Isaac," His raspy voice hissed through dry, cracked lips.

He tested his hands, flexing them and pushing the power of Mercury throughout his body. Taking a deep breath, he used such a power to heal himself, the physical wounds closing, the color returning to his body. He looked around with eyes that rejected the world, eyes that held a thirst to change it into his vision of perfection, "This world stinks," He sniffed, "no wonder the gods left this place." He adjusted the tattered cloth hanging from his shoulder, scowling at how he must appear.

Closing his eyes, he sensed for anything that might be helpful to him. In moments, a smirk that held much malice came across his face, a plan formed during his ascent coming to mind, "I will make you hurt Isaac," His voice hissed once more, "I will make you rip out your half of this great power in offering when I am through with you." He took a step towards the direction he felt his most hated enemy. His footfall echoed through the ruined inner sanctum of the tribute to the sun, puddles of water littering the stone.

_Click...clack...click...clack _

He looked into the dim distance, the glare of the spilling sunlight overshadowing an approaching person. An evil, yet calm smirk appeared once more, this time aimed for whomever was approaching, 'As good a time as any to test my power I suppose.'

_Click...clack...click...clack_

His eyes widened slightly when he saw a man on horseback trot into the sunbeams of light. His armor was a dark, earthy brown, almost black in color. It was plated and sturdy looking, various pieces of tattered cloth blowing in the slight breeze that swept through the chamber. A hood shielded the rider's face from view, but a burning glare could be felt rather than seen. The horse itself was nothing but a shadow, a towering steed with a burning letter emblazoned on its hind hip. Various weapons rested within reach of the dark rider, a sword at his hip, a bow and a quiver of arrows on his other side, a long spear strapped to his back, and an axe hanging just beside the ready sword, "Who are you?" The rider did not answer, instead dismounting his steed with a heavy, almost ominous smoothness.

A hand was raised towards the rider, the power of Mercury, fused with the power within the newly freed being, pulsating through his palm. Spike of ice were hurled at the rider, the darkly clad man simply catching and dodging them with ease. Fear gripped the holder of the first half, his eyes sharp with attentive fear and potent hate. Cursing the world and the power within, he reached for the sword at his hip, ready to cross swords with this mysterious rider.

It was all a blur to him, but before he could register ever being struck, he was on his back. Blood was gushing from the wound at his core, the spear that was once strapped to the rider's back, now driven into his stomach. Hands reached to remove the object, but two arrows pinned him to the wall, arrows nailing his palms to the cold material of the sanctum's remains. Then he remembered what had happened. He had charged the rider, power coursing through his muscles and even his mind itself. But even with this power, the rider was quicker, smarter, more powerful. His strike was parried and a palm driven into his nose, forcing him to look up, exposing his torso. With the speed of Jupiter itself, a spear was withdrawn and driven into his stomach, throwing and pinning him to the wall.

"You are a fool." The rider finally spoke, slowly approaching the holder of his most sought desire. He readied another arrow and shot it through his captive's knee, pinning one of his legs. He repeated the action, pinning the other. By now, a pool of fresh blood was collecting just under his feet, the power of Mercury within him... frozen with fear. It was an irony that stung him to the very core, that made him taste the coppery flavor of his own mortality, of his own weakness.

He cursed the rider repeatedly, uttering tongue only known to his clan that once dwelled in the north, "Cursed dog," He spat, a mixture of his own saliva and blood flying to the rider's feet, "who are you to defy a god such as me!?" He was never to be graced with an answer, only the lifeless glare that dwelled within the hood. Without warning, a hand was roughly driven into his chest, the screams of the carrier going both unheard, and unnoticed. His eyes dropped to the hand that gripped his heart with ruthless sturdiness, seeing gauze wrapped around it. On the strips of cloth, he could make out faint characters, a language he did not recognize.

"The Golden Sun," The rider growled, "is MINE!" With that, he ripped out his captive's heart, the pumping organ soon turning into a small sphere of golden light. He turned around, walking towards his awaiting steed, the dying man left to rot... alone, "You wished for immortality," He turned, removing his hood, "now die the slowest deaths that only the gods have experienced." He mounted his horse and ignored the look he was getting from his latest kill. He pulled his hood back up and started out at the same, slow trot of a pace. The hooves of his steed clicked and clacked, the same rhythm as the heart he had just ripped out, "Only half, now to find the other."

And it was so, Alex, seeker of the Philosopher Stone, seeker of ultimate power, slowly died. When he was finally allowed to leave this world, the floor had been stained red with his flowing blood. It was death that held loneliness, pain, and the hollowness of a never achieved dream. It was the death... of the accursed.

PROLOGUE... END

**A/N: Yeah, I killed Alex and I loved every sentence of doing it. Well, that does it for the precursor, but I'm still debating if I should start the actual fic yet. Anyway, thank you for reading and please leave a review!**


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